Wild Lettuce
(Lactuca serriola)
prickly lettuce, lettuce opium

Description: An annual or biennial, 2-4 foot scruffy weed, with a milky sap. The leaves, are alternate, pointed,and deeply divided. They clasp the stem and twist sideways to become perpendicular with the ground. The central vein of the leaves is thick, riblike, prickly on one side and lighter green than the plant. A single stem starts with small, yellow dandelion-like flowers and seeds, then divides into many small, thin floral stems. Found throughout the world, along roadsides and gravelly, waste places, most abundant from 4,000 to 6,000 feet.

Medicinal: It is a analgesic, antispasmodic, narcotic, and sedative. The milky juice,
resembles a weak opium, without the tendency to upset the digestive system. It is safe for children or sensitive adults. Used to induce sleep, nervous disorders, whooping cough, and cramps. Overuse may cause insomnia. Indian women used the leaf tea to stimulate milk flow. Some medical people believe that the dried sap is psychological, because the taste and appearance is like that of opium poppy. Use the standard infusion, as needed.